When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.
Fasting in the monastic community is considered an ascetic practice, a “dhutanga” practice. Dhutanga means “to shake up” or “invigoration”. The Buddha, as is well known, emphasized moderation, the Middle Way that avoids extremes, in all things. Fasting is an additional method that one can take up, with supervision, for a time.
Your hills, O Earth, your snow-clad mountain peaks, your forests, may they show us kindliness… Impart to us vitalising forces that come, O Earth from deep within your body, your central point, your navel, purify us wholly.
They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of ‘I’, ‘me’, and ‘mine’ to be united with the Lord. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality.
